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Swine flu has changed the face of worship at Our Lady of Grace — even before a single confirmed case in the state.

In church, that means no shared wine in the communion cup, no wafer on the tongue, no kiss of peace, no holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer.

In other words, intimacy is taking a back seat to common sense.

“The response is more drastic than with worries over other bouts of the flu,” parish priest Father Fidel Melo said of the suggestions and the change in mass, which became effective Thursday. “It also offers people peace of mind and peace of heart as they worship the Lord.”

There has been no directive from the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, which covers most of the Triad, so any changes are left up to the local priest. Other parishes have been looking at ways to avoid a potential outbreak here. The Diocese of Raleigh has circulated guidelines, which include many of the practices adopted at Our Lady of Grace.

Melo and other members of the normally intentionally intimate Catholic church don’t want to do anything that would put the congregation at risk, even as they come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

“I don’t think we need to wait until we get the first case in our state to be fully alert,” Melo said. “We need to go ahead and implement steps to prevent an infection. The whole world is urging us to be attentive and cautious about the potential spreading of the swine flu infection, and at this point, it’s critical for each of us to raise awareness.”

Some people believe the shared communal cup, used largely by Catholics and Episcopalians, can be a possible mode of transmission for germs, especially during the typical flu season. Even when the flu is not a concern, some priests who shepherd a communal cup often wipe the entire rim.

“Some people ... dip the wafer in the wine, and that’s been an option,” said Alfred C. “Chip” Marble, assisting bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, whose office is in Greensboro.

He has not heard of local congregations making changes to the communion rite. Historically, he said, the chalice has not been linked to transmitting diseases.

“The priest always wipes the chalice with a purificator and turns the chalice after every person drinks,” Marble said.

In the Catholic tradition the host, or the blessed bread, is the full sacrament, and the cup is optional, said diocese spokesman David Hains.

So, parishioners will still fulfill the religious rite. “Catholics know if you receive it under one species, you are receiving all the Body of Christ — if you get one you are getting it all,” Hains said.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com